on our broadcast tonight, fighting back after those explosive allegations the chinese military has been reaching into american computers. and years of warnings about an approaching cyber war. now the white house has launched a major new offensive. the deadly explosion that blew a hole in the heart of a big u.s. city. the blast felt a mile away. tonight, they're still digging through what's left. storm warning. a huge winter system on the move. a dangerous mix in 18 states, 30 million americans in the path of this one. and hoop dreams for the unlikely star of the high school basketball team crushing the competition, though he's just about half their size. "nightly news" begins now. from nbc news world

headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. growing up in this country, you get accustomed to hearing the united states is the greatest nation on earth and the mightiest military force on the planet. what we don't like is feeling vulnerable, the way we do after we have been attacked. and now that we have learned of a massive cyber attack, electronic espionage allegedly at the hands of a branch of the chinese military, and the kind of attack we've been warned about for years, today the white house took action. the problem is, this wake-up call has already hit a slew of big companies, and could reach into our power grid, water systems, air traffic control. so we begin again tonight with nbc's andrea mitchell in our washington newsroom. andrea, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. a day after new evidence that china's military is the source of thousands of cyber attacks against american business, the white house launched a new effort to protect trade secrets.

cyber spying and other forms of economic espionage are a growing national security threat, much of it from china. according to a white house report released today. >> the hacker in china can acquire source code from a software company in virginia, without leaving his or her desk. >> reporter: a few keystrokes can result in the theft of designs worth billions. while china denies it engages in cyber war or other thefts of trade secrets, 16 of the 19 cases of economic espionage cited today involve china. victims included big corporate names like ford, dupont, general motors, cargo, dow chemical, boeing and motorola. and when it comes to cyber attacks, this week's revelation about unit 61398 of china's army, located in this nondescript building in shanghai, is only one example. >> this is just one part of what is a very robust military and intelligence chinese government effort to conduct espionage through the web, stealing

intellectual property and then repurposing it to its companies in china to compete illegally against u.s. companies. >> reporter: why is china so aggressive? >> china needs to maintain a very high rate of economic development to keep their citizens happy, to keep their citizens willing to tolerate the kind of oppressive government they've got. >> reporter: president obama signed an executive order last week permitting intelligence agencies to share classified threat data with targeted companies. and calling for voluntary standards to protect vital sectors. banking, the power grid, transportation from attacks. many from china. congress refused to pass legislation last year to improve cyber defenses. republicans objected to new regulations and civil liberties groups worried about privacy. how vulnerable is america? only today the state department is investigating whether one of its associated websites was hacked last night by the activist group known as "anonymous." the attorney general today quoted cyber security experts as saying america now has two types of companies.

those who know they have been hacked and those who don't know it yet. brian? >> andrea mitchell in our d.c. newsroom tonight, thanks. the great american city of kansas city was rocked to its core last night. a huge explosion at a popular restaurant, well-known locally and to business travelers. one person has been found dead. the search for more possible victims goes on. and there's a big early indicator as to the cause. nbc's john yang with us tonight from the scene. john, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. this evening we're learning new details. the gas company says that 45 minutes before the explosion tore that restaurant apart, they tried to get people to leave. the blast was so strong, it rocked buildings blocks away. >> boom! everything just exploded. it was just the scariest thing i ever witnessed. >> reporter: the fire was so big, it engulfed a city block, raging out of control for about two hours. >> the flames were even taller than the building next to it. >> reporter: more than 100

firefighters battled the blaze at its height of four-alarm fire. authorities said 15 people were taken to area hospitals, at least one of them in critical condition. once the fire was out, firefighters combed the debris with cadaver-sniffer dogs. daybreak revealed the full scope of the devastation. jj's, a popular restaurant for nearly three decades, flattened. later investigators made a grisly discovery in the restaurant's bar area. >> unfortunately, i have the task of reporting to you today that we have recovered a body at the scene. >> reporter: surveillance video from a travel agency across the street captured the blast, which came at about 6:00 p.m. the place would normally have been packed for happy hour, but there had been a strong smell of natural gas in the area. >> approximately 5:15 in the evening, we were called for a construction worker that had struck a gas line. >> reporter: the fire department and the gas company investigated.

officials said firefighters left when utility workers said they had things under control. investigators are racing against a big winter storm, which is threatening to bury key evidence under as much as a foot of snow. brian? >> john yang in kansas city for us tonight, thanks. the weather john was referring to they're expecting in kansas city tonight, part of a huge system moving from west to east across the country. even the pro golfers in arizona got hit today. the world golf championships had to be postponed due to snow. and in california, they actually had some tornadoes touch down as part of the same system which has 30 million americans in its path in 18 different states. that's so far. we are joined tonight by meteorologist janice huff. janice, this is a big weather system. >> brian, this storm is going to intensify and track across the entire country. and it's not just going to bring snow and ice, but also flooding rains and the potential of severe weather with tornados with the southern states.

so on thursday, that snow will continue across the rockies and into kansas, maybe as much as 2 feet. ice just to the south of that, rain across east texas. and thunderstorms along the gulf coast that may spawn tornadoes in places like louisiana and east texas. then that shifts to the east on friday. snow for chicago. ice for the ohio valley. rain across the carolinas. thunderstorms and isolated tornadoes from the florida panhandle into georgia. and you could see flooding rains. when it hits the east coast, another coastal storm will form. this time, it looks like there's going to be more warm air right along the coast, so places like long island and parts of connecticut that saw so much snow from the blizzard, more likely rain or a mix, including new york city. but inland areas will get quite a bit of snow, and boston has to watch out. they get dumped on with up to a foot. it's still early. we'll keep tracking for you, brian. >> janice huff in the weather center, thanks. overseas tonight, oscar pistorius was back in court in south africa with new questions about just what happened in his

home in the early morning hours of valentine's day when his girlfriend was killed. no one disputes he pulled the trigger but his story is getting closer scrutiny. nbc's michelle kosinski is in pretoria, south africa for us again tonight. >> reporter: oscar pistorius arriving in court today, inside no hiding from photographers. today the chief police investigator challenged pistorius' account. of what happened the morning reeva steenkamp was killed. he said pistorius would have had to walk 23 feet from the bedroom, go inside the bathroom and fire four times into a small, enclosed toilet room from five feet away. believing a dangerous intruder was inside. the investigator said pistorius would have been wearing his prosthetic legs, because the bullets were shot high into the door with a downward trajectory. but pistorius stated he was not wearing his prosthetics which is why he said he felt so vulnerable. police also say they have witnesses, a neighbor who said she heard what sounded like fighting for an hour from pistorius' home and then gunfire.

another neighbor says he heard shots, looked outside, saw lights on inside the home, heard a woman scream two or three times and then another few shots. pistorius' uncle addressed the allegations. >> they're just not true. this is it. he's not a violent person. he's a peacemaker. >> reporter: but there are other questions. if pistorius was screaming, yelling to his girlfriend to call police about a burglar, as he claims, wouldn't she have responded from the bathroom? or when he fired the first shot. and police said they found steroids, testosterone and needles for injection in his bedroom. but under question, the investigator admitted, he did not know what the substance was, he saw the label and made an assumption. pistorius' lawyer said it was an herbal remedy. it's being tested. last week he was brought to the hospital for tests. tomorrow, a likely ruling on whether the olympic great is released on bond or held in

prison. michelle kosinski, nbc news, pretoria, south africa. former congressman jesse jackson jr. was for years considered a rising bright light among democrats in congress with a famous family name. but today he and his wife were in tears in a federal courtroom, pleading guilty to serious crimes involving campaign money. both of them now face possible prison time. our report from our justice correspondent, pete williams. >> reporter: for jesse jackson jr., the walk into the courthouse was the end of a slow-motion fall from grace. he told a federal judge, for years i have lived off my campaign. admitting that he took money received in political contributions and used it to make more than 3,000 separate purchases for himself and his wife over the past seven years. a $43,000 gold watch. $19,000 for one of michael jackson's guitars. $16,000 for a pair of elk heads. tens of thousands more in furnishings for their homes in washington and chicago.

total value, $750,000. >> jesse jackson jr. had the drive, the ability and the talent to be the voice of a new generation. but he squandered that talent. >> reporter: as he left today, jackson was apologetic. >> not a proud day. i'm sorry i let everybody down. >> reporter: but his lawyer says at age 47, he still has a promising future. >> a man that talented, a man that devoted to public service, a man who has done so much for so many, has another day. there will be another chapter in jesse jackson's life. >> reporter: his wife, sandra, a former chicago alderman, was at the same courthouse, tearfully pleading guilty to a related charge. jesse jackson jr. will be sentenced in june, and will almost certainly face prison time, perhaps as much as four years. pete williams, nbc news, at federal court in washington. things got hot in arizona yesterday during a constituent town hall meeting with senator

john mccain. it got tense when he got an earful on a couple of issues. after a while, the senator pushed back. and it started on immigration. >> and you're a senator with the federal government, and you're doing nothing about it. you said build the dang fence. where's the fence? >> in case you missed it, i showed you. >> that's not a fence. >> that's not a fence? it's a banana. we are putting up a banana with about $600 million worth of appropriations we have. sir, you can -- you're entitled to your opinion. you're not entitled to your facts. the facts are that we have made significant improvements on the border. >> everybody in this audience right here. >> you know -- >> you're taking away from their social security to give it to a dependent class of people. >> taking away from their social security? this is an overwhelming experience. i've had enough, sir. you've had enough. >> when i retire -- >> you've had enough time. you've had enough time. you've had enough time. >> 51 years -- >> go ahead, sir. we really try to be polite here.

and if -- and if -- and if you can't be polite, then please don't speak up. because people are entitled to hear people's opinion. you know something? again, i've had town hall meetings for 30 years. people are very happy i have town hall meetings, and i listen to them and i get back to them. and that's what this is all about. but occasionally, i get a jerk like you here. so thank you. go ahead, ma'am. >> it went on. on and off pretty much like that. we've put more of the video on our website tonight. still ahead for us this evening, back to school for a growing number of americans on the road to retirement. keeping their own minds sharp and accomplishing something else in the process. and later, a fifth grade star of the high school basketball team. at fifth grade, 4'5", he's got a lot of the older guys looking up to him. embarrassed about my skin. [ designer ] enough of just covering up my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin.

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we here have learned this week a full third of americans say now they're not saving nearly enough money to prepare for retirement. the problem, of course, is just the cost of daily life and keeping up with it. but for those who are lucky enough, the traditional plan involves taking it easy, ideally, after working hard. not everybody fits that mold, of course. and a growing number of retirees are moving to some unlikely places. some heading back to school and making quite an arrival on campus in the process. our report tonight from nbc's chris jansing. >> reporter: on most saturday afternoons during football season, bonnie and denny seabert do what they love most, cheering on the ole miss rebels with family and friends in oxford, mississippi. >> we came down for football and enjoyed it so much, there was so much to do, right, den? >> every night there is something to do. almost too much to do if you're retired. >> reporter: they're part of a growing number of older adults who are redefining retirement, but moving to college communities.

>> university towns often become retirement towns, because lots of culture, lots of athletics, lots of fun things to do. >> the ole miss emblem. >> reporter: that's exactly why the seaberts moved from illinois. for a chance to stay active, volunteer, and keep learning. colleges are paying attention. by 2020, nearly 54 million americans will be over 65. so literally, hundreds of colleges are offering discounted and even free tuition to those older students. >> how are you? >> i'm fine. >> reporter: pomona college in southern california is one of them. >> the seniors and their questions and reactions to the class material can model a different approach to the material, and therefore really deepen what -- deepens what happens in class. the war of the spanish succession -- >> reporter: and for the seniors themselves, research shows lifelong learning can improve their health. >> an active involvement of the brain. that can also be really important for slowing down and decreasing the chances of something like dementia or cognitive decline.

>> reporter: and back at ole miss, retired navy captain david dike summarizes what may be the biggest draw for seniors. >> then we'll break out the wine and cheese. >> reporter: college makes him feel young again. >> quite frankly, i wouldn't look forward to a situation where i'm sitting around with a bunch of folks my age comparing which pills we're all taking. >> it was published in 2007. >> that's it. >> reporter: comparing notes instead. and heading off to class, not into the sunset. >> well, lots of great stuff. >> reporter: chris jansing, nbc news, new york. by the way, there's a lot more information on all of this on the entire series. it is on our website effective tonight. we are back in a moment tonight with the grim reality. what we're all eating these days, and how much time we spend in front of electronic screens just like the one you're watching. looking for a better place to put your cash? here's one you may not have thought of -- fidelity.

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released the first lady's new official portrait for the next four years. on a closer look, reveals a much changed look from four years ago, as fashion bloggers pointed out today, because they cover this sort of thing. from her exposed arms to her hairstyle. in space news, here's the one that didn't blow up over siberia. the asteroid we were expecting to see last friday when we woke up instead to the unexpected news of a meteor strike. this is the best nasa could do for a close-up of the hurtling object, 17,000 miles up. still a very close call, as such fly-byes go, and much closer to earth than the satellites normally orbit. a few more quick items here. the "new york times" is selling "the boston globe" after owning it for almost two decades. this could set off an interesting bidding war for the venerable paper. change coming to a venerable sport. the new and safer batting helmets worn by a few mlb players will be worn now by all players, mandatory, starting

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finally here tonight -- a kid who has had a lot of exposure on the web for the number of times he has visited the net. a young basketball player has gotten a lot of attention, because he doesn't fit the mold by a long shot. but this is a fantastic story of talent and determination and stature, as nbc's stephanie gosk reports tonight from orlando. >> reporter: when julian newman lobs a three-pointer, it takes a while to get to the basket. the ball starts pretty close to the court. but that's not even the most impressive thing this 4'5" 11-year-old can do. watch his dribbling with the regulation nba-size ball. >> left hand layup.

>> reporter: challenging julian to a game of horse is probably not wise. >> left hand layup. can't even do a right hand, layup, julian. >> reporter: julian plays for his high school varsity team in orlando, florida, even though he is only in the fifth grade. even though the uniform doesn't really fit. even though the average player is more than a foot and a half taller. he's not concerned. don't you worry about, like, catching an elbow in the forehead? >> no, not really. >> reporter: the diminutive point guard is lighting up the internet. one youtube clip has been viewed 2.6 million times. jamie newman is his father, history teacher and coach. he met wife vivian in high school. she plays, too. they knew julian was special when he was just 3 years old. >> he would dribble around and shoot layups, shoot lay justifies. and he was just so fast. >> reporter: julian's parents do what they can to keep school a priority. he gets straight as.

he's not allowed to play basketball until the homework gets done. you play every day. how many hours a day? >> like, six or seven. >> reporter: he studies the pros, hoping one day he will play for the lakers. >> i have faith that i will make it. >> reporter: his favorite moves are ripped from clipper star chris paul. is he going to get an h? no, not even close. our game of horse ended badly. for me. >> that's e. >> that's e. i lost. i lost. that's terrible. >> reporter: i'm not sure julian was ever really that concerned. stephanie gosk, nbc news, orlando. that's our broadcast on a wednesday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. w evening. good night.